Deep South/East Coast must see spots

Hi RTA forum goers!

I'm planning a 5 week road trip from Newark to New Orleans with my partner in July-August. We really want to experience the real Deep South. I have a few ideas of places that are a must see, but would really welcome any other must see sights or stop offs. I'm particularly interested in swimming/fishing lakes along the way and great food spots so please do suggest if there is anywhere you think we are missing along the way.

We will be using a sleepervan so also welcome any suggestions for budget camp sites in the states we are visiting.

A vague plan of my the intended route/must see spots is as follows. Appreciate this is a little vague but gives you an idea of the direction:
Newark -> Atlantic City -> Washington, D.C -> Knoxville/Pigeon Forge (for Dollywood!) - > Nashville - > Memphis - > Hot Springs, Arkansas -> Jackson -> New Orleans -> and back to Newark!

I want to travel some of the Natchez Trace Parkway at some point and the Smokey mountains.

Last edited by AZBuck; 06-01-2011 at 09:33 AM.
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Just a 'Few'

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

My own trips through the south have been more about history, but this is an area which appeals to many diverse interests. I know my grandson as really enjoyed fishing and swimming in Bull Shoals Lake in northern Arkansas where my son-in-law's family has a cabin. Such man-made lakes are common in the South, especially along the Tennessee River and its tributaries where the TVA has dammed a number of streams. There are also wild and free flowing rivers, such as the New River in West Virginia, the Buffalo River in Arkansas, and several rivers in the Ozarks of Missouri.

Camping galore

Hello amy,

There are millions of acres of National Forest lands in VA, NC, SC, TN, AR, MS, AL, and LA. You'll want to make yourself familiar with the various NF units and their camping facilities. The overall USDA National Forest website is your best resource to get started.

You probably want a commercial campground guidebook aboard, too. Woodall's is one I've used extensively.

The Smokies and Gatlinburg get pretty crowded in the summer, so you might want to book ahead for that stop.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is the operator of the hydropower dams along the Tennessee River and its tributaries and to the best of my knowledge they operate many campgrounds. You'd also be wise to look at state and local parks in each of the states you're headed through. I am very familiar with the state park campgrounds in NC and VA and there are at least a dozen in these 2 states which have small to large swimming/boating lakes.

I've had some fine times paddling the Spring River in AR and the Nolichucky, Nantahala, Ocoee, French Broad, and Chattooga Rivers in NC/SC/TN/GA. For a day on any of the latter group, the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) is a premier outfitter. They have outposts at each of the named rivers, and theirs at Wesser, NC is their main HQ and is conveniently located at the take-out of a half-day paddle of the Nantahala River.

The 'Overlooked' Elvis

One thing I like to point out to Elvis enthusiasts who are planning a visit to Graceland and other points in the South is that his birthplace in Tupelo (MS) is also preserved as an 'historic' site and makes a nice stop on a drive from Memphis into northern Alabama or points southeast.